HoopsHype.com Rumors

Darnell Mayberry: Sam Presti on Kendrick Perkins: "I think he's going to go back and work and COME BACK improved." Twitter @DarnellMayberry

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kendrick Perkins, Sam Presti 

The Thunder's polarizing center has nothing to worry about. Two days later, Presti essentially put an end to the rampant speculation that Perkins would possibly be waived under the NBA's amnesty clause. “We just haven't considered using the provision,” Presti said. “I wouldn't necessarily directly attribute that to any player on our team. Every team looks at the amnesty provision different based on their different circumstances. But it's not something that we've really explored.” Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kendrick Perkins, Sam Presti 

“We think Perk has a lot of value to our team,” Presti said. “He's a member of a team that won 60 games and helped us to our third division title in three years. I don't know that we can discount that. I'm sure he'd like to have had a better postseason. But I'm sure that's pretty universal for the whole group. And we accept that.” Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kendrick Perkins, Sam Presti 

Darnell Mayberry: Sam Presti on the amnesty clause: "We just haven't considered using the provision...We think Perk has a lot of value to our team." Twitter @DarnellMayberry

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kendrick Perkins, Sam Presti 

Royce Young: Presti called Westbrook and Durant the "caretakers of the organization" and "drivers of our culture." Twitter @dailythunder

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Sam Presti, Russell Westbrook 

Royce Young: Presti: "Jeremy [Lamb] is somebody we feel really good about. He's definitely going to be a contributor to our team in the near future." Twitter @dailythunder

Oklahoma City Thunder, Sam Presti, Jeremy Lamb 

Thunder draftee Tibor Pleiss: I'm in touch with GM Sam Presti and, more often, with scout Johnny Rogers. They watch every game I play and they're very happy with me. I have three more years on my contract in Vitoria and I will play with Laboral Kutxa next season, at least. Gigantes del Basket

Oklahoma City Thunder, Sam Presti, Tibor Pleiss, Johnny Rogers 

Q: When you plan toward the Thunder’s future, how far ahead do you look? Five years? 10? 20? Sam Presti: It is impossible to put a specific number on years out that we look and plan, but part of our job is to always to look for ways to maximize the present while also staying vigilant and aware of what will ultimately allow the Thunder to endure and thrive in the future. There are so many variables that come into play in professional sports, and many of them are out of your control at the end of the day. However, as an organization we put a strong premium on sustainability within our market and, therefore, the future is a daily part of our process. Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Sam Presti 

“Although we are of course disappointed that Russell will be unable to return to the floor with his teammates this season, the opportunity to repair the meniscus as opposed to remove it was the best possible scenario for Russell's long term health as a player and person,” said Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. “Russell's health and well being are obviously our number one priority through this process and today's procedure helped solidify our belief that Russell will have many productive years of basketball in his future.” NBA.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Sam Presti, Injuries, Russell Westbrook 

As for Valanciunas, the promising Raptors big man who's been averaging a 15-7 since mid-March, here's a true story: When Sam Presti was quietly shopping James Harden last October, he called Toronto to feel out a Jonas package. And got rebuffed. Quickly. Grantland

Oklahoma City Thunder, Toronto Raptors, Trade, Sam Presti, James Harden, Jonas Valanciunas 

The Oklahoma City Thunder has assigned forward Perry Jones and guards Jeremy Lamb and DeAndre Liggins to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. Jones has appeared in 36 games this season with the Thunder while recording averages of 2.1 points and 1.5 rebounds in 6.7 minutes per game. NBA.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Sam Presti, D-League, Perry Jones, Jeremy Lamb, DeAndre Liggins 

The Oklahoma City Thunder has recalled guards Jeremy Lamb and DeAndre Liggins from the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. Lamb has appeared in 21 games (all starts) this season with Tulsa while recording averages of 21.0 points 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.2 blocks in 32.8 minutes per game. NBA.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Sam Presti, D-League, Jeremy Lamb, DeAndre Liggins 

Oklahoma City’s Sam Presti and Houston’s Daryl Morey, among others, also have been to Athens to scout Antetokoumpo, whose contract with Zaragoza is said to contain an affordable buyout clause. Oh, and he has a 7-foot-3 wingspan. The Greek and Nigerian basketball federations are both trying to register Antetokoumpo to play for their respective national teams, and Antetokoumpo is expected to participate at the NBA pre-draft Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. SheridanHoops

Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Draft, Sam Presti, Daryl Morey, Giannis Antetokoumpo 

The Oklahoma City Thunder has assigned guard DeAndre Liggins and center Daniel Orton to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. Liggins has appeared in 37 games (one start) this season with the Thunder while recording averages of 1.5 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.3 minutes per game. NBA.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Daniel Orton, Sam Presti, D-League, DeAndre Liggins 

The Thunder has hired Jason Ranne, a Tulsa native who starred at Bishop Kelley High School before going on to play at Arizona, as its director of strategic planning. Ranne will work with basketball operations on initiatives that include team payroll, player acquisitions and long-term operational planning. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to add Jason to our front office staff,” said Thunder GM Sam Presti. “He adds a diverse skill-set as well as many years of experiences within the industry of sport. We are confident that he will make a positive contribution to our operations as we continue to build and grow as an organization.” Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Sam Presti, Jason Ranne 

That belief and confidence in Presti helped lead Hennigan to where he is today, the general manager of the Magic. Presti gave Hennigan two of his big breaks: a coveted internship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2004 and a position as director of college/international player personnel with the Thunder four years later. As Hennigan worked his way up the NBA ladder, he and Presti developed a close friendship that still endures. "In these jobs, in front offices and coaching staffs across the NBA, you spend an incredible amount of time together," Presti says. "More importantly, you go through a lot of ups and downs as a group, and through that you build a personal respect and appreciation for each other as individuals. With Rob, that was a pretty easy thing." Orlando Sentinel

Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Sam Presti, Rob Hennigan 

But here's the real killer. Multiple sources have told me that, when Oklahoma City's Sam Presti decided to shop James Harden, Golden State was his first call. He wanted Klay Thompson and a pick. The Warriors would only consider the trade if Oklahoma City took back Biedrins or Jefferson for 2013 expirings, knowing they'd get crushed by the luxury tax in 2014 with Harden's extension plus Steph Curry's extension plus David Lee plus Bogut/Jefferson/Biedrins. At that point, Presti went to Washington (offering Harden for Bradley Beal, and unbelievably getting turned down), then Houston (where the shopping heated up). Presti never ended up calling Golden State back. Grantland

Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Washington Wizards, Trade, Sam Presti, James Harden, Klay Thompson 

Q: What made you go after Ronnie Brewer, and how long have you had your eye on him? A: I think the opportunity to add a player like Ronnie without dipping into our immediate player rotation was something we feel like we needed to pursue. He brings a defensive mind-set, versatility as a perimeter defender, and he comes in with over 300 games started. But more impressive to us is the fact that he’s played for some organizations that we really have a lot of respect for. In addition to that, he’s a high-character, hard-working individual that we feel like is going to fit well with our current group. Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Trade, Sam Presti, Ronnie Brewer 

Q: What can you tell fans about the trade exception that you got in the Eric Maynor trade? A: Well obviously Eric is someone that we think very highly of, and I think he’s going to be a very productive player in the NBA for years to come. But we also recognize that he was going to have opportunities at the end of the season as a free agent, and we had to figure out the best way to maximize that situation given that he wasn’t playing on a consistent basis with us. The trade exception essentially gives us flexibility in terms of roster building, again, to try to make additions to our core group without infringing on that group. It’s going to give us flexibilities during the draft and also as we head into free agency. We’ll try to be as creative as possible, but we’re also going to be very disciplined with it. Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Trade, Eric Maynor, Sam Presti 

I met Presti two weeks before the start of training camp at the Oklahoma City National Memorial, a site that commemorates, powerfully, the city’s defining tragedy: the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Presti shook my hand in the lobby, quickly and firmly, and then proceeded to say nothing for many minutes. The museum’s director was giving us a tour, and Presti seemed relieved to cede the floor completely to her. He wore a polo shirt, casual pants, fashionable glasses and hip sneakers. He was very slim — no excess — and was fidgeting a lot, bouncing rhythmically at the knees. We were at the memorial because, as Presti told me later, “This place is part of our existence.” Presti sits on the memorial’s board, and he makes sure that every player who joins the Thunder visits the site before he ever plays a game. The idea is to teach them the character of the citizenry they’ve just joined, to help them recognize, as Tom Brokaw put it on the night of the bombing, Oklahomans’ “essential sense of goodness, community and compassion.” New York Times

Oklahoma City Thunder, Sam Presti, Oklahoma City